Automobile bumper



ocr, 27,1925- 1,559,293

' S. SMITH AUTOMOBILE BUMPER Filed April 9, 1925 p Patented Oct. 27, 1925.

UNIT-@Deiss PATENT OFHCE! AUTQMOBILE BUMPER.

Application filedV April 9, 1925. 'Serial No.. 21,758.

To all 'whom it may concern.'-rv f i f Be it known that I, SHEFFIELD SMITH,

a citizen'othe UnitedStates, residing at North Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode tsland, have-m- -fvented certa-in new and usetul improvements in Auton'iobile -Bun'ipers,otwhich the following is a speciiication. e.

' My invention relatesto automobile bumpers of thespring bar type vadaptedqfor attachi'nent to either end" ot'an automobile.-

' he essential Vobjects of my invention' are to extensively distribute the shock -ot` ablew and completely absorbthe same; to cover a greater protecting area, and to-guard against impacts from more directions than heretofore possible;v to avoid both the hooked and the U shaped laterally projecting bumper ends that now invite entanglement with neighboring machines; to combine a n'iaximum'oif strengthfwith-a minimum ot weight,- and-'to attain these'ends in a convenient and inexpensive structuire:l

My invention consists in the means andV mechanism 'for producing the results above specified suijistantially as hereinafter claimed.

In the accompanying drawings illustra-tingl the principle of this invention and the best modenow known to nie ot applying my invention,

Figure l is a plan view oil my invention mounted upon the trent or rearend o1 an automobile chassis,

Figure 2, a 'front elevation ot my bumper detached,

Figure 3, a section of theisame on line 3 3 of Figure 1 showing one tube partially broken away, n

Figure 4, a 'fragmentary transverse longitudinal section ot an attaching portion ot the bumper, and

Figure 5, a similar section ot a modilied form ot my invention.

Like reference characters indicates like pai-lis throughout the iviews.

My bumper as herein embodied is illustrated as attached to one end ot an automobile chassis 10. 11 and 12 are an axle and a pair or wheels respectively supporting the same.

My bumper is wholly composed of suitvably bent fiat bars of resilient or spring 1G extending' gradually '-'iinijtorinly and suc'- cessiv-ely outwardly, forwardly, transversely, and rearwardly to formv forwardly projecting' `laterally yextending loops 17 rcomplete-dby Vor merging in aA rearwardly directed semic'ircul'ar l'central loop 1,18. -Each' loop 17, describes `the major` arc of a circle or an arc ot' more than 180 degrees, and is therefore substantially circular. These loops are diagonally disposed/withA relation to theend portions 16. In other words, the loops 17 are opposite each other and substantiallyy lateral tothe line. of attachment.

Cooperating with the impact receiving loops 17 are auxiliaryfspring rods* or arms 2O shaped from flat steel bars. Each member 20-has a rear end 'portion 21 engaging the inner vtace of one of the portions 16 ofthe impactmember.. From the portion 21 the member 2O entends symmetrically in wardly, forwardly, and outwardly to form an arcuate portion 22 extending"approximately halt the width of the' loop 17, with its convex face in slidable contact with the concave face of theI loop l17. FJach arm 20 isoppositely disposed to the outer lateral portion ot its adjacent loop 17, and oppositely disposel to the other arm. In this instance each arm 20 has the material of its extremity bent to form a vertical terminal tube 23 through which may pass an endless chain l25, including a split link 26 by which the chain may be severed and removed when not desired.

The end portions 1G and 21 of the inemwith registering holes 27 for the reception of bolts 28 for attaching the bumper to the chassis, and the bolts may serve also to bind together the portions 16 and 21. In practice however, as shown in Figure 4, the portions are preferably united by a rivet 30; but the rivet may be omitted when the portions 16 and 21 are integral, as shown in Figure 5.

An impact from the 'front upon the chain meets the resistance of the loops and arms and the shock is distributed through all these resilient elements. This shock absorption is further facilitated by the slidable contact of the arm portions 22 with the rection upon the loops 17 regardless of the presence of the chain.

The gradual and uniform character of the curvature of the outer or lateral portions of the loops 17, in distinction from the abrupt and nonuniform character of the corresponding portions of U shaped and hooked bumpers, causes an object impinging thereon from the rear to glance or slide off, rather than become entangled therewith.

It will be observed that the chain is carried by the arms 20 rather than by the impact member, and thus the shock upon the chain is more gradually absorbed, and the impact member is not weakened'by the presence of attaching bolts.v

I claim 4 l. In a bumper for' automobiles, an impact member comprising forwardly directed loops, and curved resilient arms rigid with the rear ends of the loops engaging forward portions of the loops, the lateral convexity of the loops being in a direction opposite to the direction of the lateral convexity of the arms.

2. In a bumper for automobiles,v an im` pact member comprising connected forwardly directed loops, and arcuate resilient arms liXed to the rear portions of the loops slidably engaging forward portions of the loops, the arms being disposed in directions opposite to the directions of the lateral por-v tions of the adjacent loops.

3. In a bumper' for automobiles, an impact member comprising diagonally disposed forwardly directed loops, and resilient arms fast to the rear portions of the loops slidablyengaging the sides and forward ends of the loops.

4. In a bumper for automobiles, an impact member comprising forwardly directe-d side loops and a rearwardly directed intermediate loop, and arms comprising rear portions fast to the rear ends of the side loops, and arcuate forward portions contacting with the side loops adjacent the intermediate loop, Y

5. In a bumper for automobiles, an impact member comprising substantially parallel rear end portions, forwardly projecting laterally extending substantially circular loops integral with the end portions, and a central portion continuous with the substantially circular loops, and forwardly directed arms engaging the end portions and the loops.

6. In a bumper for automobiles, an impact member comprising forwardly directed side loops and a central rearwardly directed loop, resilient arms engaging the rear ends of the side loops and in contact with forward portions of the side loops, and a flexible member disposed transversely of the central loop attached to the arms.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my Signature.

SHEFFIELD SMITHu 

